71 Freeway widening project in Pomona to end next fall

The long-awaited widening of Pomona's 71 Freeway is now one year away from bringing relief to commuters tired of traffic congestion.

But as construction continues, the project to expand the freeway from four to eight lanes from the 10 Freeway south to the 60 Freeway will still require closures.

Caltrans has announced on-ramp and connector work, including a closure of the Rio Rancho Road on-ramp to the northbound 71 Freeway that's in effect until Monday, Sept. 30.

Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval is among those welcoming the work.

"It was, and still is, a serious bottleneck for traffic, so we anticipate that this project will mean less traffic in this area," Sandoval said.

The construction includes sound walls, also known as noise barriers, that are used on freeways to reduce noise, Caltrans spokesperson Peter Jones said. These walls are 75% complete, he said.

The entire project is expected to be completed in fall 2025, Jones said.

The $98.3 million construction work is funded by Measure M, a half-cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2016 for transportation projects, a Caltrans news release states.

The work on the 71 in Pomona will involve adding one carpool lane in each direction, along with one general-purpose lane in each direction stretching 3.1 miles from Mission Boulevard to the Los Angeles/San Bernardino county line.

In March 2019, work on what's officially called the 71 Expressway to Freeway Conversion Project began, with crews demolishing 17 homes .

The project has encountered setbacks because of the record-breaking rainfall that Southern California has seen the past two rainy seasons, Jones said.

In the Pomona neighborhoods of Westmont and Phillips Ranch, to make room for the project, Caltrans had to buy and demolish 17 houses between Mission and Phillips boulevards, a news release states.

As part of the continuing construction, the Rio Rancho Road on-ramp to the northbound 71 that has been closed since early June will be closed until Monday, Sept. 30, for realignment, the release states.

Pomona City Councilmember John Nolte said the expansion "can't come soon enough."

"I'm excited because I think the three big things this brings to us is better connectivity, higher use of transit and carpools, and better air quality," he said.

Drivers can check traffic conditions in the area by visiting Caltrans' Quickmap .